Living in a caravan

[Gem77]

Hello!

I'm a newbie here so hi everyone.

My husband and I are just about to embark on a self build in Witley.

We have three boys and as quite a lot of build stories go delays happen and because of these and not starting when we were due we are now having to seriously consider living on site as from August for the last 6 months of the build.

 

As you can imagine this is quite a daunting prospect being a mother of 3 boys and I would welcome any tips that any of you have that I need to consider.

Power and water supply, where to store clothes etc,  how to do the washing (we have lots of it)!

I've started to look into options, hiring, buy back etc but also would be interested to know if we were to buy outright would it be easy to sell on privately?

 

I look forward to hearing your experiences and inisights into the matter.

[ProDave]

We spent 18 months in a static caravan on site through the coldest winter for years (remember the beast from the east)  That was just me, swmbo and our daughter.  With 3 boys you are going to have to look at a much larger 'van than we had, possibly a twin unit if you want a bedroom for each of the boys?

 

We had the washing machine etc in the part built house and I also had a desk and office set up in the house.  That was where most stuff was stored as well.

 

You need to seek out your local caravan dealers, there will be some and they usually have the large flat bed trucks to transport them. When finished you can just sell privately and the buyer will have to pay a transport company to move it.

 

The one we bought however was actually advertised for sale on a site.  We wanted it because it had a very unusual layout that suited us and had not seen one before, so we talked to the site owner and they were happy to sell it and have it taken off the site. I believe it just got replaced with a new one of the same type on that site.

[Cpd]

I would buy two Smaller vans and park them parallel but with a decent gap between each and build a roof over the top, put Your washing machine, dryer and various other bulky things under the roof as well as  all boots and work gear and keep the space in the vans for living. Sleeping in one with a space for the kids to cause havoc and the other one for cooking and general living. I have lived in various huts and caravans in my life  I now really like the idea of keeping cooking and sleeping separate ! Also I have kids and like that they have there own space to play that does not overflow into my cooking / relax space..... but that may be just me. 

[joe90]

hi Gem, I lived in a static on and off for two years during our build. How much can you get done in the house/build before August?, if you could get the kitchen done then laundry and cooking will be taken care off, one bedroom to all sleep in, heating the caravan in later months will be difficult/costly but still cheaper than renting somewhere else so creating a flat in one room in the build will help in the winter. All living in the van will be “fun” at first but as the weather gets colder the novelty will wear off. Although you say self build, how much are you doing and how much (if any) contractors, if using contractors try to get them organised (if that’s possible!) with tight timescales to enable you to move in ASAP. Best of luck and keep us informed (we’ve all been there?).

Edited February 15, 2020 by joe90

[ProDave]

The best thing I did to our 'van was fit a wood burning stove in it.

 

The worst thing that winter was crawling underneath it at about 10pm during a blizzard at the height of the beast from the east, with a hairdryer and extension lead to defrost a frozen pipe before it split.  Cause by a mouse had chewed the pipe insulation off a section about a foot long.

[SteamyTea]

How old are these 3 boys?

A tend to agree about keeping a sleeping area separate from cooking.

Have you thought about heating?

[Ferdinand]

A very wise question to ask first, @Gem77.

[Russell griffiths]

If you look up a couple on you tube called PURE LIVING FOR LIFE they are in America with terrible winters they have a mobile home but have built a timber lean to extension on the side of it. In there they keep all the boots, dogs, working clothes, washing machine, they have a good sized wood burner in it and this keeps it all very tropical. 

 

Have a look they really have it sorted. 

Dont follow any of their building practices as they are terrible and have made a hash of everything, but the caravan is good. 

[SteamyTea]

29 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Have a look they really have it sorted

 

29 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

they have a good sized wood burner in it and this keeps it all very tropical. 

Um

[Russell griffiths]

24 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

 

Um

We all know your opinion on woodburners, but sometimes you have to do things to achieve what you want. 

[Cpd]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

Have a look they really have it sorted. 

Been watching various bits trying to find out about the timber lean to extension but failed...... so many videos. I am in the process of buying a container to put out the back of my glorified shed and want to create a roofed area  between the shed And container for our volunteers to hang out in and make an outdoor work lunch / eating area. Will troll through a few more of there videos on the hope of finding it. 

[epsilonGreedy]

3 hours ago, Gem77 said:

we are now having to seriously consider living on site as from August for the last 6 months of the build.

 

 

How confident are you @Gem77there will only be 6 months remaining to a finished house from August onwards?

 

I ask because finding, transporting and getting a static caravan up and running as a home on your self build plot involves time and expense. I suspect for a short period up to 6 months a conventional house rental makes more sense.

 

To get a static caravan properly set up on site for a winter requires:

1. Searching for the caravan which is more demanding than say shopping for a second hand car.
2. Checking that road transport is a viable option through the final roads to your site and any tight bend onto site. Overhanging trees were the main headache for my delivery.
3. You will want to prepare a base with some hardcore so that the van does not develop a tilt over the winter. While doing this also think about daily car parking and paths across site.
4. Can you find a position onsite for the van that still allows a minimum 3 meter working perimeter around the house in build?
5. Will the van sit in a position that will obstruct digging of drainage or service trenches to the main house?
6. Will you be able to find a position onsite with enough elevation to route a sewerage pipe from the van into pipes in place for the main house?

Once you have the van on site budget for:

• Many hours to get the van levelled up on freshly prepared ground. I think I have 30+ heavy blocks shoring mine up
• A day to connect up the drainage pipes under the van or more if extra trenches need to be dug.
• Multiple days to add skirting all round to stop freezing winds getting under the van.
• Buy or make steps for access.
• A visit from a gas safe fitter to get central heating up and running.
• Outside lighting is very useful.
• Offsite storage for everything else needed later for the main house.
• An extra £40 on your site insurance to cover the van.

Our quality of life onsite improved once the washing machine and tumble drier were up and running in a shed but even the shed was a mini DIY project. The shed required its own hardcore platform and extra trenches for electricity, mains water and another short drainage pipe branch. When I thought I had finished this the washing machine then danced around the shed floor which meant I then had to build a raised platform with timbers much thicker than the shed floor.

 

Having said all that we have been happy onsite for 18 months. In our case we are just two in an extra wide static caravan hence we have the same floor space as a small flat (480 sq ft).

 

[soapstar]

 

@epsilonGreedy is spot on with their advice....All I can say is be careful if you decide to fit a wood burning stove, you may struggle to sell it as many holiday parks do not allow wood burning stoves to be fitted on their premises.

[ProDave]

I doubt many static caravans used on a self build will ever find their way back onto a caravan park of any description. Most sites have strict rules about age and condition, and most statics we get to buy for self build have "done their time" on a caravan site.

 

Just be careful if installing a wood burner.  I had some nice assorted slabs of granite for mine:

 

[Markblox]

And remember that some statics are winterised and some are designed for summer only. Obviously get the winterised one unless you like being cold and damp.

[Markblox]

This is what will be in at some point, simply because we already have it. In Portugal at the moment riding out the latest storm.

[Ferdinand]

Static caravan parks usually have a "stay" limit from say March to October, and an age limit on caravans of about 10 years.

 

Ferdinand

[Russell griffiths]

2 hours ago, Cpd said:

Been watching various bits trying to find out about the timber lean to extension but failed...... so many videos. I am in the process of buying a container to put out the back of my glorified shed and want to create a roofed area  between the shed And container for our volunteers to hang out in and make an outdoor work lunch / eating area. Will troll through a few more of there videos on the hope of finding it. 

I would look at their video list and go right back to the beginning where they build a hot tub and move the trailer onto their plot. 

Ignore most of the house building stuff as it’s just one disastrous moment after another. 

[Cpd]

3 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Ignore most of the house building stuff as it’s just one disastrous moment after another. 

Haha.... yes I watched a few bits and  ended up putting my hands in front of my face and peeking out ....... not sure if it was because of the disasters or because it reminded me of all my own previous mistakes.......  

[Gem77]

Thanks so much for all your comments, definitely given me some more to think about - LOL!

[StevieD]

Hi, I have been living in a static caravan adjacent to our plot for the past few months. I have a wife and two girls and we have been managing fine for the past few months. There are a few tips I would share.

• Cite your caravan in a sheltered area from the wind and rain, fortunately we have a large outbuilding to our south side, an embankment to the east and trees to the north and west. We have heard but not felt the past two storms.
• Additional insulation where possible, I added 2 inch foiled insulation board to the underside of the static home (keep vent paths clear) and added a thick skirting to the caravan. This stops the winter draft sapping the heat from the under side of the caravan. We also put rubber matting over the tin roof above the sleeping quarters. Rain and hail amplify off the tin roof! My wife is a light sleeper and found this beneficial.
• Space is obviously a premium. Take in things you essentially need. We downsized significantly, including clothes. Use as you need, try and keep it down to 1-3 pairs of everything each (cept skivvies, need several).
• If you can, add a sizable sheltered porch area, we have a 2m2 one but could have don'e with a bigger one. We have a retractable washing line, cat box and seats out in it. Very handy.
• Static homes can have a few draughty spots, esp with built in furniture. Find and insulate as you see them. Because they are draughty, you may get moisture build up inside. A 2kw plug in de-humidifier will be essential. it will keep furniture, clothes, carpet dry. Keeps the RH of your caravan down, which if you are staying for a long period is essential - I wood burner will help do this too.
• Thankfully we can wash and dry clothes nearby which saves a lot of set up. If you can, you could use an ex-site office iso container - it will have connections for light, heat, water and foul waste. a used 20ft one can cost 2-3k.
• We have two children in one small room - it used to have those skinny single beds and room for not much else. We took those out and put in small bunk beds, slots in nicely and left more room for ikea storage furniture for toys/clothes.

If I remember any more il post them. Good luck, it definitely is an experience - always remember its only temporary and its for a greater goal. Don't let cabin fever set in!

[Gem77]

On 17/02/2020 at 15:26, StevieD said:

Hi, I have been living in a static caravan adjacent to our plot for the past few months. I have a wife and two girls and we have been managing fine for the past few months. There are a few tips I would share.

• Cite your caravan in a sheltered area from the wind and rain, fortunately we have a large outbuilding to our south side, an embankment to the east and trees to the north and west. We have heard but not felt the past two storms.
• Additional insulation where possible, I added 2 inch foiled insulation board to the underside of the static home (keep vent paths clear) and added a thick skirting to the caravan. This stops the winter draft sapping the heat from the under side of the caravan. We also put rubber matting over the tin roof above the sleeping quarters. Rain and hail amplify off the tin roof! My wife is a light sleeper and found this beneficial.
• Space is obviously a premium. Take in things you essentially need. We downsized significantly, including clothes. Use as you need, try and keep it down to 1-3 pairs of everything each (cept skivvies, need several).
• If you can, add a sizable sheltered porch area, we have a 2m2 one but could have don'e with a bigger one. We have a retractable washing line, cat box and seats out in it. Very handy.
• Static homes can have a few draughty spots, esp with built in furniture. Find and insulate as you see them. Because they are draughty, you may get moisture build up inside. A 2kw plug in de-humidifier will be essential. it will keep furniture, clothes, carpet dry. Keeps the RH of your caravan down, which if you are staying for a long period is essential - I wood burner will help do this too.
• Thankfully we can wash and dry clothes nearby which saves a lot of set up. If you can, you could use an ex-site office iso container - it will have connections for light, heat, water and foul waste. a used 20ft one can cost 2-3k.
• We have two children in one small room - it used to have those skinny single beds and room for not much else. We took those out and put in small bunk beds, slots in nicely and left more room for ikea storage furniture for toys/clothes.

If I remember any more il post them. Good luck, it definitely is an experience - always remember its only temporary and its for a greater goal. Don't let cabin fever set in!

 Thanks so much for this - I am loving the bunk bed option and the rubber matting as I am too a light sleeper! Good luck for the rest of your build.

Would you mind letting me know what you used for the porch area? Is it simply an awning?

 

[StevieD]

57 minutes ago, Gem77 said:

Would you mind letting me know what you used for the porch area? Is it simply an awning?

Hi, See photos below.

• For the porch, I reused a vat tank base as our porch base (a timber frame base would work just as well), then bolted on 3''x3'' timbers for uprights and various timber for the rest. Only thing I had to buy was the clear corrugated sheets for the roof. Later I added handrails, rubber matting (anti slip)and some green hedge mesh for a wind/rain breaker. I couldn't do without it, I just wish I had made it bigger. I could but id rather invest my time now on the build!
• You can see the rubber skirting too, I added a timber frame underneath and fixed the rubber skirting to it. (It was reclaimed unused conveyor belt stock).
• For the bunkbeds, we sourced ours from Wayfair online as they suited the dimensions we needed - as it was bespoke we needed two new mattresses too. They are suitable for children under ten but definitely not teenagers! They are light wooden frame so it doesn't but too much loading on the floor.
• We have a buy back option from our cabin supplier at roughly 20% under of what we paid for it (depending on condition of course), given we will be residing in it between 18-24months, the cost saved from renting is invaluable.
• I cant stress siting your cabin in a sheltered area enough (unless you like getting rocked to sleep in the storms). Also, look at water run off paths and shoring - this will help prevent your cabin/paths/driveway from flooding, rutting and keep it fairly dry and firm during wet periods.

Hope this helps.

 

[epsilonGreedy]

43 minutes ago, StevieD said:

Hi, See photos below.

 

 

Another self builder with potted plants on site well ahead of a finished house. Swmbo keeps asking me to move the ugly building stuff out of the way because it spoils her plant pot display.

 

I concur with the issue of shelter though in my case my skirting is structural and this made the caravan feel much more stable in high winds.

 

Yes heavy rain on the roof is a problem, sometime we have to crank up the TV volume up to deal with the noise.

[Gem77]

On 19/02/2020 at 09:31, StevieD said:

We have a buy back option from our cabin supplier at roughly 20% under of what we paid for it (depending on condition of course), given we will be residing in it between 18-24months, the cost saved from renting is invaluable.

That is a pretty good buy back, we are still looking at what the best option would be for us.